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Saturday, October 16, 2010

Say you have a new service or page you want to advertise, what possible places could you put it? As libraries expand their reach online, it's no longer as simple as putting a link on your webpage.

In this post, I'm going to list systematically a dozen locations you could add online, some are directly under the control of your library (e.g. library pages), others are on third party servers that you indirectly control (third party hosted services), others could be totally third party systems (Facebook pages etc) and yet others could be under the control of other units (e.g Courseware systems).

Let's just take a link to a web chat (I know there are many ways the handle chat widgets, from embedding the chat box directly to various types of links that popup/expand etc but here I'm just considering a link regardless of how it behaves because chat is just an example). Where can you link it?

1. Library Front Page

Pro : Pretty obvious. Highest traffic page.

Con : Overcrowded homepage if you try to list everything there. Also is this really placing the service at the user point of need? E.g A library help page for OPAC that exists only as a link from the home page might be missed, as users might not need it until later when they are searching the OPAC.

2. On every page

How about placing a link on every page on some consistent part of your website's UI? There are many ways to do so, here are 3

Most obvious way is to place on banner, toolbar etc.

Concordia University Library has a link to Ask a Librarian page on every page

Some of the newer chat widgets like Olark, allow a "floating:" chat box that appears at the bottom of each page.

My own blog embedded with "floating": chat widget at bottom of every page

Recently I notice many services such as GetSatisfaction have began to popularize another type of UI, a "floating" tab widget that appears on the left (or right) of each page.

My own blog embedded with "floating" tab widget

Pro: This ensures the service is a click away on every page.

Con : As it's every present on every page, it might blend into background and be missed.

Pro: A browser toolbar creates an access point when user is not on library webpage. The browser toolbar will also quick access to library services no matter what page he is on!

Con: Have to encourage user to install

10. Desktop widget

What if the user has not opened a browser? You can offer desktop widgets that residue on their desktop to allow easy access. See this

Pro : User can access at any time even when browser is not open

Con : Have to encourage user to install

11. Word Processor/ Reference manager

Besides surfing the net, academic library users also spend a lot of time typing reports/essays and managing their citations. How about adding a button, or link to allow easy assess to library services? Say a student is typing a report, wonders what the proper citation should be, he can link on a link in Word or endnote and access a librarian chat.

Pro : Besides using the browser, academic library users also spend a lot of time managing their citations and typing articles. A link from there either set up as a extension or by customzing research pane, gives users one click access to library help. Very useful when user is working on report.

Con : Have to encourage user to install

12. Preinstall on library computers

#9, #10, #11 can be done on all library or university computers, so users don't need to install. Thanks goes to @CanuckLibrarian for suggesting this.

Conclusion

I've used the example of a chat link/ widget here but it easily applies to another link to a service, say a help page instruction. Is there any other online location they could be added I'm missing out?

Of course here, I cover only online locations, in a future post I will consider advertising/promotion in physical locations.

Say you have a new service or page you want to advertise, what possible places could you put it? As libraries expand their reach online, it's no longer as simple as putting a link on your webpage.

In this post, I'm going to list systematically a dozen locations you could add online, some are directly under the control of your library (e.g. library pages), others are on third party servers that you indirectly control (third party hosted services), others could be totally third party systems (Facebook pages etc) and yet others could be under the control of other units (e.g Courseware systems).

Let's just take a link to a web chat (I know there are many ways the handle chat widgets, from embedding the chat box directly to various types of links that popup/expand etc but here I'm just considering a link regardless of how it behaves because chat is just an example). Where can you link it?

1. Library Front Page

Pro : Pretty obvious. Highest traffic page.

Con : Overcrowded homepage if you try to list everything there. Also is this really placing the service at the user point of need? E.g A library help page for OPAC that exists only as a link from the home page might be missed, as users might not need it until later when they are searching the OPAC.

2. On every page

How about placing a link on every page on some consistent part of your website's UI? There are many ways to do so, here are 3

Most obvious way is to place on banner, toolbar etc.

Concordia University Library has a link to Ask a Librarian page on every page

Some of the newer chat widgets like Olark, allow a "floating:" chat box that appears at the bottom of each page.

My own blog embedded with "floating": chat widget at bottom of every page

Recently I notice many services such as GetSatisfaction have began to popularize another type of UI, a "floating" tab widget that appears on the left (or right) of each page.

My own blog embedded with "floating" tab widget

Pro: This ensures the service is a click away on every page.

Con : As it's every present on every page, it might blend into background and be missed.

Pro: A browser toolbar creates an access point when user is not on library webpage. The browser toolbar will also quick access to library services no matter what page he is on!

Con: Have to encourage user to install

10. Desktop widget

What if the user has not opened a browser? You can offer desktop widgets that residue on their desktop to allow easy access. See this

Pro : User can access at any time even when browser is not open

Con : Have to encourage user to install

11. Word Processor/ Reference manager

Besides surfing the net, academic library users also spend a lot of time typing reports/essays and managing their citations. How about adding a button, or link to allow easy assess to library services? Say a student is typing a report, wonders what the proper citation should be, he can link on a link in Word or endnote and access a librarian chat.

Pro : Besides using the browser, academic library users also spend a lot of time managing their citations and typing articles. A link from there either set up as a extension or by customzing research pane, gives users one click access to library help. Very useful when user is working on report.

Con : Have to encourage user to install

12. Preinstall on library computers

#9, #10, #11 can be done on all library or university computers, so users don't need to install. Thanks goes to @CanuckLibrarian for suggesting this.

Conclusion

I've used the example of a chat link/ widget here but it easily applies to another link to a service, say a help page instruction. Is there any other online location they could be added I'm missing out?

Of course here, I cover only online locations, in a future post I will consider advertising/promotion in physical locations.